1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to cans employed for containing foods or beverages and more particularly to systems for cleaning can tops having self opening pull tabs prior to dispensing the contents of a can.
2. Background Art
The food and beverage industry has utilized cans as a packaging medium for generations. Beer and soda have, for many years, been exclusively canned in self opening cans having a top with a weakened aperture area outline and a pull tab lever adapted to engage the weakened area and exert force sufficient to sever the material along the outline.
Innovations in such packaging have heretofore included the permanent mounting of both the pull tabs and the portions of the can top within the aperture outline to reduce litter. This was accomplished by mounting the pull tab such that when pulled it depressed the aperture area into the can and its contents. Similar self opening pull tabs have been employed on canned foods and, in particular, individual portion sizes of canned foods.
Utilization of the self opening can technology has proven cost efficient and has eliminated the necessity of using a can opener, thus making canned foods and beverages readily available for casual consumption to those away from a kitchen or home environment. Unfortunately, when a potential consumer is away from a home environment, the availability of facilities for cleaning the can top was generally lacking. Thus, dirt, dust, contaminants, infectious elements and the like carried on the can top entered the food product contents and became ingested. The need for providing a readily avaiable handy cleaning system for use in wiping a self opening can top prior to opening has been recognized by those who were aware of the medical consenquences of neglecting this simple hygienic expedient.
One approach toward providing a can cleaner was disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,651,890. The invention disclosed therein comprised a cleansing pad sealed within a pouch which, in turn, was carried in the hollow underside of the beverage can. To clean the can top, one was required to turn the can upside down, open the pouch, remove the pad, manually wipe the top of the can and then was expected to return the pad to the pouch to avoid generating unnecessary litter.
Although it is unknown if such invention was ever commercialized, it would appear that many consumers would not employ the pad, possibly because they would not even know of its existence, tucked in beneath the can and out of view. Further, use of the pad would be, to say the least, awkward. To require the reinsertion of the pad into the pouch after use would mean turning the can upside down which normally could not be accomplished until its contents were emptied. By that time, the user probably will have thoughtlessly discarded or have forgotten the pad entirely, thus generating additional litter.